A Father's Love
by Mistress of the Arts
Summary: Alphonse returns to the place he once called home, bringing a piece of the future to where his memories had been laid to rest. -Post-Brotherhood. Al/Mei, Ed/Win-


_Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa. Takes place after Brotherhood. OCs mentioned belongs to me._

* * *

It had been five winters since Alphonse Elric returned to Resembool. He had left to continue his studies in Xing, the country across the desert. With Mei Chang as his guide and teacher, Al had learned a lot over the years.

He had only visited a few times since then - but never back to the home his elder brother and him had left behind all those years ago, journeying together to find the Philosopher's Stone and restore their bodies to their original states. They had achieved that, but only at the expense of discovering their own lineage and stopping Father and his homunculi.

Xing had changed Al - though he had always been the one with the more mature and collected personality when it came to the Elric Brothers. Ed was the hot-tempered, strong-willed brother who let nothing stand in his way.

Xing was so different in comparison to Amestris. The language, the culture, the dynasty of it all - Al was constantly discovering new fascinating facts and studies over the years. Now, a strapping man of twenty-four, Alphonse had grown tall and his features were much more prominent. The once baby-faced youth that had an uncanny resemblance to his mother, now took after his father in his later years.

The air was different, and it was startling to see snow for the first time in so long. Having traveled across the desert in mid-autumn and arriving in the mining town of Youswell just as winter began, nostalgia seemed to wash over the young alchemist.

Bronze eyes lifted toward the clouds, a swirling blending of gray and white, the sky completely hidden from view as the fluffy white flakes fluttered down. Already it was sticking to the rooftops and the roads. It was still a day's journey by train to reach Resembool. He had to hurry.

The trip was different this time - for Ed and Winry didn't know that the dear younger brother was coming home for the first time in years. The last visit had been in Central and one concerning the Amestris Military and a treaty between Xing and their new emperor, Ling Yao. Over time, Ling and Al had developed a kinship - best friends, brothers in arms. Alphonse Elric, a state alchemist given the title _Soul Alchemist_, was the Amestrian ambassador to the country in the East. With their negotiations, they were able to hold back the Drachman armies that attacked Briggs.

A combination of alchemy and alkahestry was able to keep both countries safe from invasion and strife. War did not come beckoning upon their doorsteps as often as it did in past. Peace treaties were formed under the wise ruling of Führer Grumman and his leading advisor, Roy Mustang.

"Wish Mei could see this…she loves snow." Al mused under his breath, watching it cascading around him.

The wind was chilly, but not unpleasant, caressing his tawny cheeks with frosty kisses that tinged them pink, stinging mildly. He reached into the pocket of his blazer, withdrawing a pair of gloves. They were not for him, however, but for his companion whose icy hand was much smaller than his own, gripping onto his.

Already, the small porcelain hand was turning red from the cold. Alphonse was quick to kneel down, eye-level and staring into beautiful eyes as dark as night, shimmering like obsidian. Raven strands fell into the eyes, the rest of her thick hair worn down, falling to the middle of her black petticoat. Her legs were covered with wool dark violet leggings - hand knitted by Pinako that used to belong to Winry. Underneath the leggings was the silk material of black formfitting pants. Smiling, Al took her little hand and slid the gloves over it, keeping his eyes locked on hers, as if mentally trying to reassure her that there wasn't any harm.

She nodded, her full lips parted and trembling, her teeth chattering. She had never been exposed to the cold before - her body in a slight shock that he intended to ease her out of. Al reached up and removed his scarf - also hand knitted and warm - wrapping it around her shoulders and protecting her face. Last but not least, he removed a cap from his pocket, pulling it over the crown of her head.

"Papa's here," Al said, massaging her gloved hands between his bare ones, trying to warm the nimble and stiff fingers. "It's alright, Rin."

Rin looked up at him slowly from gazing at the white blanket forming around them, piling up quickly. Her little booties left prints whenever she did take a step forward, obsidian eyes shimmering with both curiosity and amazement.

"Papa…what is this?" her voice was soft, like the wind chimes.

He smiled, brushing his thumb against her pink cheek. "Snow. It doesn't happen back home, because it's warm there."

"Frozen rain?"

He smiled at her guess - her eyes as wide and innocent like her mother's.

It was hard to believe that it had been five winters since she was born. Obviously, Rin Li didn't recall her own birth - born during a harsh blizzard while trying to escape Drachma. Mei and Al had gone there for an attempted peace treaty, both ambassadors. Of course, their baby was premature by almost eight weeks. No one other than Mei and Al knew about the pregnancy.

In the cold and harsh snow, in a cave obscured by trees, Rin Li Chang-Elric was born. Now here she was, five years old. Al was still amazed at how beautiful is daughter was. If one looked closely enough, she could see that her eyes were the same shape as his, and she had his nose. She was as beautiful as snow herself.

"C'mon, baby, let's get to the station. Can you walk?"

Rin paused and then shook her head, "Nu-uh…"

His eyes glanced down at her small knees, shaking and seeing she was having trouble. Al merely turned with his back toward her, glancing over his shoulder with those bronze eyes. Rin hesitated before wrapping her arms around his neck, piggy-backing.

He stood up and trudged through the snow, hearing her soft gasps as she took in all the exotic sights. She hadn't been to Amestris since she was a newborn, and even then they had only been in North City long enough for her to recover, being a premie and all. They had immediately left the country.

Al wasn't sure how to tell his brother. He knew Winry and him would be pissed the moment they found out they had a five-year-old niece - only a year younger than their son, Ventus, and a year older than their daughter, Emily. Yet, it wasn't something that he could just…say in a letter. They couldn't talk on the phone.

It had to be done in person.

"Papa, what's that!?" Rin's excitement seemed to carry as she pushed on his head, gloved fingers gently pulling honey blond tuffs. He hastily shifted so not to lose the grip on her thighs.

"That's a train, baby."

"Oooh!"

He smiled, trying to think back to his own childhood. Rin's reaction had been just like Ed's. He remembered the way Ed had ran alongside of the tracks, pretending he was a conductor.

All those train rides…

All those memories.

Sometimes, he missed traveling with his brother. For five years, it was all they had known. Granted, he never wanted to be a cold empty shell again. Yet sometimes, he knew it couldn't be helped. At least his soul always ventured back to his body - though his body was useless and in a comatose state that needed guarding the entire time he possessed a suit of armor - but it saved his life many times.

Though, the haunting and icy feeling of being murdered countless times never seemed to go away…

Shaking the morbid thoughts out of his head, Al glanced up as he felt another (painful) tug on his hair. Rin was getting too anxious, and she didn't know how to control herself at times. The train had just pulled in and -

"Shoot!" Al hustled toward the station, Rin giving a shriek of laughter and going "Faster, Papa!" which he had not trouble complying with. They needed to get on that train! It was the last one to Resembool.

Barely managing to get their tickets and get on board, Rin happily hopped down to the red carpet of the train. A toothy grin ensued as she bounced on the balls of her feet, peering around. Al quickly grabbed the back of her scarf so she couldn't wander off, finishing his conversation with the conductor quickly about the time of arrival. There was to be one stop and train switching in Dublith, which would last about an hour.

"Papa! I wanna watch the station go buh-bye!"

He smiled down at her, closing his eyes as his hand moved to the top of her head, patting it. Rin squeezed his other hand as they began to find a seat, the young girl eagerly claiming the window seat. She pressed her face to the glass, giggling as her warm breath made it fog up.

Smiling, Al reached over her shoulder and drew a kitty. She squealed in delight, having developed her father's love of cats from the age of two. She terrorized the poor cat that Al had inherited, but now they were the best of friends. Rin had been sad to part ways with her mother and feline friend, but she didn't want to stay behind while her father went to visit his brother.

So here they were - a month's travel into the cold, and Rin's birthday right around the corner. Al gazed down at his daughter, feeling the longing to see Mei again, but he kept a smile on his face. Quieting down, the ravenette glanced up at her father.

"Papa, are you sad?"

Al pulled her into a tight hug, "Of course not, baby."

Rin snuggled into his warmth. _Papa always smells good. He smells like trees and spice. I like Papa's smell. _She also liked his warmth, and the way his arms felt tight around her. She felt safe and suddenly, very sleepy.

Within moments, Rin Li fell asleep.

It was true for every lad and lass - a father was a son's first hero, and a daughter's first love. There was no doubt in Alphonse's mind that Rin adored him. She loved to be close to him, always in his arms. She said that was where she felt safest.

Leaving her behind hurt ten times worse than leaving his own wife - his daughter held a grip on his heart like no other. He was irrevocably in love with his beloved Mei, but his love with Rin was something different.

Innocent.

He noticed her cheeks were red, reaching up to remove the cap and gently pull off her gloves. Rin shifted, nuzzling his chest as she dreamt. He heard her murmur the name of their cat and he smiled softly.

What would Ed and Winry say about their niece?

Would Ven and Emily get along with her?

He hoped so - because he never wanted Rin to feel unloved by her family. The other members of the Chang clan rejected her. Mei didn't care about being disowned as a princess of Xing for bearing a child with an Amestrian.

For years, they shielded Rin from the ridicule of being different. She looked just like them, but the other children knew she didn't belong. It was like a sixth sense they had. Maybe it was because she acted just like her father…

Al gave a soft whimper, holding Rin tighter to his chest.

No. He refused to let his daughter go through that again. He was to return to Amestris in the spring. Mei would be happy to return. All they needed was the approval from Grumman. It could be arranged.

Yet, Al couldn't help but wonder where they would go. The family home was burned down years ago. He doubted there was room with Ed and Winry.

Maybe…maybe he could…

The train lurched, cutting off his thoughts. Al heard Rin whimper, looking down and shushing her, stroking her hair until she went back to sleeping in his arms. A gentle smile spread across his lips, tenderly brushing the hair behind her ear, thumb idly stroking her porcelain skin, as soft as silk.

His lips pressed to her forehead, eyes closing as he held her tight.

_My precious Rin…_

A Father's love could never be compared to any other feeling in the world.

* * *

Edward Elric had accomplished a lot in his life, ever since his mother passed away when he was a young boy. He was the youngest state alchemist to ever be admitted into the Amestris State Military, he was the one who managed to save the entire country from Father and the homunculi, and he was a proud husband and father to one Winry Elric, formerly Rockbell.

Now they ran a humble automail business, with Ed having made enough money as a state alchemist to secure his family. He stayed in his hometown in the East, working as a carpenter now and earning some extra money - money he planned on using to further his children's education.

Winter had arrived at last. He stood on the front porch, watching his six-year-old son and four-year-old daughter playing in the snow with the family dog, Den. His son, Ventus "Ven" Elric was the spitting image of him. His golden blond hair was worn to the nape of his neck in a shaggy manner, his bangs framing his face and falling to his chin. His eyes were the same piercing gold as his.

His daughter had taken after her mother, her shoulder-length hair a platinum shade of blond, worn in two pig tails and her eyes were the same cerulean shade that had captured his heart when he was a young boy. Ed suppressed a chuckle as Emily came behind her brother, shoving a snow ball down the back of his trousers.

The young boy gave a shriek and then growled, whirling on his sister. He wiggled his fingers and she shrieked, trying to hide behind Den. And thus a game of tag ensued, with Ed trying his best to control himself. He wanted nothing more than to jump in and capture them both - it was one of his favorite games to play with his kids.

He took one step off the porch, deciding to give into his urges, when he heard Winry calling for him. Giving a soft curse, he turned to see the mechanic at the doorway, hands on her hips.

"Why haven't you fixed the door upstairs yet?"

"I-I was watching the kids! Give me a break, woman."

"You were told to fix that yesterday!"

"I'll fix it on my own damn time!"

Winry reached into the pocket of her apron, twitching fingers wrapping around the cold shaft of her beloved wrench, but before she could withdraw it, she felt two pairs of eyes locked on her.

"Mommy and Daddy are fighting again…"

"N-No we're not!" Ed shot her a glare as if to say 'see what you did now?' before he turned to look at his daughter. "Mommy is just having her time of the month is all,"

Winry twitched. She struggled to keep her wrench concealed. Edward was _seriously_ asking for it, but they had sworn to never fight or show violence in front of the children. Ven cleared his throat and then ran forward, coming to his father's aid.

"Mommy, I want to work on the clock we've been making!"

Ven had inherited his mother's love of mechanics, becoming a gearhead. He was a lot closer to his mother than his father, but Ed didn't mind. He liked the attachment Ventus had towards Winry, and the bond was hauntingly familiar.

"Daddy, can we go make dinner?" Emily asked, tugging on his pants.

He looked down at her - it was damn near impossible to resist those big blue eyes and her mitten-covered hand pressed to her mouth. Damning his wife for passing on her irresistible charm to their little girl, Ed picked her up, twirling her.

"Of course we can!" Ed gushed, nuzzling her.

Winry giggled, keeping her thoughts to herself. She was reminded of Mr. Hughes and his daughter, Elicia. Ed would never admit it himself, but he did admire and love his daughter to that level.

A Father's love was something no one else could understand.

She gripped Ven's hand, looking down at him. She remembered that April day in which he came into their life. He was so beautiful, so sweet. He was a mirror image of his father, but he lacked the hot-temper. Instead, he was gentle and docile, much like his uncle Al.

An uncle he had only met once.

Winry glanced at the photo on the bulletin board above the phone, it having been taken shortly after Emily had been born. It had been taken in Rush Valley. Ed was grinning and holding Ven, grinning the same way. Emily was in her arms. Paninya, Mr. Garfiel, Al, and Mei were also in the photo.

She wondered how Al and Mei were…

She wasn't even sure if they were still together or not. Al's letters were rare and vague. He couldn't disclose much in his letters and phone calls were even rarer. It took its toll on Edward, whose brotherhood with Alphonse was as strange and mysterious as a father's love for his daughter was.

Some bonds just weren't meant to be understood by the outside world.

"Mommy, I can't find it…"

She looked down at her Ventus - her Ventus Maes Elric. He was named after one of the greatest father's Winry had ever had the pleasure of knowing. She didn't ever need to understand Ed's love for Emily.

She had her own special bond with her handsome little man.

Ven gave a gasp as Winry suddenly knelt down, hugging him tight against her bosom. He blinked rapidly, confused as to why his throat was suddenly thick and the fear of losing his mommy kept rushing through him. He clutched her back, overwhelmed by the hot prickling at the corners of his eyes.

"M-Mommy…w-why are you crying?"

Winry just simply whispered, "I love you, Ven."

"I…I love you too, Mommy."

* * *

Ed was silent, witnessing the emotional moment that overcame his wife and their son. Winry was as sweet and tender as Trisha had been - as a mother and as a wife. He now understood everything that had happened between his parents. It was startling, to finally understand something that happened over two decades ago.

He did though.

"Daddy, this is heavy!"

He whirled, panicking to see Emily trying to pull the bottle of milk out of the fridge. He lunged forward and swooped down, hastily snatching Emily by the back of her overalls and tugging her into his arms just as the bottle hit the floor, glass and milk going everywhere.

"Damn stuff…see! It is lethal!"

Emily blinked rapidly, "Daddy…why are you shaking?"

He didn't realize he was until she had said something - his entire body was tense, muscles rippling underneath his sweater, and his arms wrapped around her tightly. Very easily, he saw her cut. The thought of even a small cut on his baby girl racked through him.

"I'm fine, Em."

She was precious - so very precious. She was Trisha, Winry, him, and even a bit of Sara. She had been named after Winry's mother. Emily Sara Elric. His little girl.

"Let's get this cleaned up before Mommy comes in here all mad." Ed then whispered.

Nodding, Emily sat on the counter as Ed cleaned up the glass and milk. He was kind of happy his daughter had disposed of the nasty milk. Like him, she had developed a taste for it, but their dinner had milk in the recipe - something he could easily substitute.

Soon, the two began to make dinner. Ed would let Emily taste test things for him, her giving him a little thumbs up when it was just right. He ruffled her hair.

Everything was great.

"Ed…"

Winry's voice caught their attention. Ed placed Emily back on the floor, her following him as they hurried to the hallway. Ventus was peering around his mother's legs, gold eyes wide.

A familiar stranger stood in the doorway, covered head to two in snow.

He wasn't alone.

Standing beside him, clutching his hand and staring at the blond boy with matching irises was a little girl. Her eyes were as black as obsidian, her hair like a raven's wing. She looked like a little porcelain doll - fragile and beautiful.

"…Al…?"

* * *

The dinner table was quiet. Three little children eyed their parents and each other in curiosity. Al was explaining everything that had happened. Ed was sitting stoically, Winry reacting only with her facial expressions. Neither had said a word.

Finally, Winry glanced at the girl of Xingese origin - her little hand stabbing at her mac'n'cheese with her spoon, attempting to figure out how to eat with it. Al quickly attended to his daughter, feeding her for her, at least until she got the hang of it. There was no doubting that this was Alphonse's daughter.

It was just the shock of it…

To find out he was married, had a daughter…

And she was so cute!

"Papa, this stuff tastes good!"

"Auntie Winry's cooking always does."

Ed glared, "Hey, Al, _I _made this."

Al blinked, "Great job, Brother!"

He smiled at the praise, "So this is your little girl." He finally glanced to inspect his niece. Her facial features were the only giveaway that she was in fact Al's child. Other than that, she took after her mother. "You and Mei did great."

"So did Win and you," Al smiled at his nephew and niece.

"After dinner, can we play with Rin?" Ven asked, blushing a bit.

Winry nodded, "Of course you can. Are you finished?"

"Yes!" the three chorused, eager to have a new playmate.

"If you want to play outside, put on your snow clothes!" Ed hollered as the three scampered away from the table, Ven leading the way.

And they did - with Emily helping Rin figure out how to put her gloves and booties back on. The three Elrics watched as they interacted. The initial shock was passing. Ed could feel his heart swelling with love for his niece.

She was as perfect as his own children, and he knew he would love her just as much. Already he had forgiven his brother. He realized how hard it would be to tell them about her, without meeting her.

Rin Li was charming as she was sweet. Already the three of them were attached. They went sledding and built a snowman. Emily showed Rin her level of alchemy - while Rin showed her how to write her name in Xingese characters.

They sat on the porch in silence for the longest time, just watching the moments, capturing them to memory.

"Ed…Win…?"

Al was the first to break the silence. They glanced at him, seeing him crying. Neither knew how to respond, so they waited for him to talk again.

"It's…good to be home… so good…to be home…" He rubbed his eyes with his gloved hand, unable to stop crying.

"This will always be your home," Winry finally said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He sniffled and looked at them, "C…Can I come home…?"

Ed put an arm around him, tugging him into a headlock. "You've been home, Al. If you want to stay, you can. Get your wife here. Raise them here. From what you told us, it'll be best."

Al nodded, smiling.

_Why did I worry to begin with…?_

This had always been Home.

* * *

_A/N: I simply love the thought of Ed and Al being parents :) Reviews would be appreciated! _

_-Mistress of the Arts**  
**_


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